


Waves

by chaemera



Category: Fallen London | Echo Bazaar, Sunless Sea
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-25 01:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10753812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaemera/pseuds/chaemera
Summary: A zee-captain muses as he hauls freight.





	Waves

The crew lazed upon the deck, a few playing cards, a few trying to attract a wild zee-bat with a bit of ship's biscuit. It was a routine journey, if ever such a thing existed on the Unterzee, ferrying wine from London to Venderbight for sale. The false-stars above cast an answering glitter upon the waves as the ship chugged northwards, and her captain considered the horizon in a manner that was not exactly thoughtful, but not exactly anything else, either.

How many times had he made this journey? How many times had his crew been the same during it? Were there any new faces this time? No, no, these were all men and women and others whom he knew, though it could not be said that he knew many of them well. Well enough, one supposed, for the purpose that all bound them together. Seeing the ship from one port to the next.

The candle at his elbow had begun to gutter, the flame dipping and dancing even in the lack of breeze that was upon them. An ending, albeit a small one. As though watching the actions of a stranger, the captain tugged the stump of wax free and flicked it gently overboard, the flame tracing a languid arc down to the water before being swallowed in darkness. A few of the crew that saw it tapped a knuckle to their brow to mark the passing.

One more bit of light, taken by the zee. Goodbye, rest well.

The bat hanging from its perch behind his shoulder yawned, stretched, and chirped softly before returning to its doze. Ahead, he could see the harbor lights of the Tomb Colonies on the horizon.


End file.
